In Chicago, Litterbugs Face Huge Fine, Impounded Cars

Chicago drivers who treat city streets as their personal trash can might be in for a rude surprise when a new law takes effect in a month: The city has raised the maximum fine for littering to $1,500 and given police the discretion to impound vehicles, reports the Chicago Tribune. If they're lucky, drivers will get the minimum fine, but that quadrupled from $50 to $200. It might have been even tougher: Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed the bill only after its sponsor agreed that litterbugs' vehicles would not be automatically towed, reports the Sun-Times. (More littering stories.)